Automatic railway-frog



, (No Model.)

1). H. MAHONEY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY FROG.

Patented (|)0t. 13, 1885.

6W)ITNES'SE'S: 7g Qwefig/ INVENTORZ ATTORNEYS Z DANIEL H. MAHONEY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF OLNEY, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-FROG.

fiPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,044, dated October 13, 1885.

Application filed October 27, 1884. Serial No, 146,637.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL I-I. MAHONEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at O1- ney, Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Frogs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway-frogs for use in switches; and it consists in the construction of the frog in such manner that one rail designed to occupy and form part of the main track shall be unbroken, whereby all danger from the breakage of or the opening formed by the point of the frog is avoided.

It further consists in the provision and construction of means operated by the passage of a car into the side track or outward into the main line, whereby the wheels are carried over the main-track rail and descend upon the side track without undue concussion or liability to derailment. The essential adjunct of an ordinary frog is a pair of guard-rails placed one on each side inside the main and side track outer rails opposite the frog-point, designed to engage the wheel-flanges on one side and compel the opposite wheels to properly traverse their path through the frog-opening. The security of such frogs depends more or less upon the proper position and strength of the guard-rails, for if out of place a wheelfiange is likely to strike the wrong side of the frog-point and derail the car. My invention dispenses with the point, preserves an unbroken main track, and reduces the liability to derailment. The accompanying drawings illustrate my improvement, in Which Figure 1 is a plan view of my frog in place in the track. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an elevated wing-rail and adjacent main-track rail; Fig. 3, a cross-section of the main track and siding,taken through the frog on the line as w.

The parts referred to hereinafter are designated by suitable letters of reference.

In the drawings, 13 B are main-track rails; G O, side-track rails; E, a fixed wing-rail of the frog, andA a movable one; D, a pivoted guard-rail in the side track.

a is a filler between the wing E and sidetrack rail 0;

c is a lever pivoted at 0, and b and d are its connecting-arms, connecting, respectively,

(No model.)

with the movable wing-rail A and movable guard-rail D.

p is a pin passing through the web of the guard D at the opposite end to the pivot 19, the latter allowing a certain lateral play to the other end of the rail.

The rail 0 is fitted snugly against the web of rail B, its flange bent to fit over the flange of the latter, or any other strong and secure fitting employed.

The wing E is B, then bent parallel to and a short distance from the side-track rail 0', and held at suitable distance therefrom by a filling-piece, a.

Suitable bolts pass through the filler and hold the wing E, side'track rail 0, and maintrack rail B firmly together. The tops of these rails are level, and the filler at one end, a, is flush therewith and notched or otherwise let into the main-track rail, thence to the other end, a, it descends on an incline to the depth of the ordinary fillers below the rail-top, making an inclined channel-way for the wheelflanges.

The side-track rail 0 within the main track is bent at its end into a wing, A, parallel to the main rail, and is adapted to fit against the latter opposite the fixed wing E. It is raised above the level of the main-track rail opposite the fixed wing, and inclined back to its original height each side of the filler on a sufficiently gentle incline to avoid unpleasant shock or tilting of the car on passing over it. It is likewise pivoted so as to be easily moved. To the movable wing A is fastened the rod b, pivoted to the lever c, the latter being fastened to a tie between the side-track rails by pivotal fulcrum-connection 0. At the other end of the lever is pivotally attached another rod, 01, joined to the pivoted guard-rail. This rod is arranged with a stiff spring surrounding it, designed to take up, without bending the rod, any extra wide opening of the guardrail by wheels with wide treads. The pivot p holds the guard at the proper distance from the rail, and also allows play to its opposite end. The pin 19, inserted through a slot in the guard-rail, holds the latter from upward motion. Both ends of the guard curve outward to engage the wheel-flanges, and an intermediate point, In, is bent, as shown, to secure the bolted to the main track rail proper movement of the guard by cars passing out of the side track into the main line.

The operation is as follows: The drawings show the frog in place for the passage of mainline trains, and presents an unbroken main track. Should a car enter the side track, the first wheel reaching the guard D will push it away from the rail 0, and by means of the rods and lever draw the movable wing A close up against the main-track rail B.

The wing A being bent upward on an incline, the wheel thereon is elevated until its flange just clears the main track rail. It passes on, the opposite wheel holding the wing against main-track rail, crosses the latter, and its flange falls into and travels down the inclined filler until the tread of the wheel strikes the side-track rail. This will occur opposite the bend k in the movable guard, beyond which the wheels on that side will cease to act on the guard. The following wheels will, however, in like manner operate, and each succeeding pair of wheels holds the wing in suitable position for safe and easy passage.

It sometimes happens that cars having very wide-tread wheels will pass the frog. 1 therefore provide a spring, .9, on the rod (1, which will yield on the guard being pushed open more than ordinarily, and prevent the operating mechanism from being bent or broken.

It will be obvious that such spring could be placed on the rod 12 with the same practical effect. The curves and inclines in the movable wing A may be so nicely adjusted that no shock and only a slight tilting motion will be felt in passing the switch at considerable speed.

The height to which one wheel is elevated above the other need not be over two inches.

No mechanism is needed for setting the frog for the mainline, the passage of the train itself doing so.

There is very little friction, the parts sliding as easily as a switch rail. There are no frogpoints to wear out, sink down, or break, and the shock and swaying in passing over the frog are no greater than in the ordinary form.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. An automatic railway-frog,embodying an unbroken main-track rail with a fixed wing-rail at the outside thereof (forming a guard-rail for the siding) and at the other side a movable elevated siding-rail provided with connecting mechanism for its operation, by the passage of wheels upon the opposite siding-rail, and adapted to be thereby drawn against and partially over the main-track rail, and an inclined filling-piece between said fixed wing-rail and the main-track rail, to insure the proper seating of the wheel-tread in passing from the siding upon the elevated siding-rail and across the main track, substantially as set forth.

2. In an automatic railway-frog, the pivoted guard-rail D, constructed, as described, with bend 7c, and provided at one end with suitable cushioned pivot, 19, and at the other end with pin 19, allowing lateral motion, but preventing upward spring, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In an automatic railway-frog, the combination, of the unbroken main rail B, fixed siding C, joined to the outside thereof, with fixed guardrail E, and interposed filling-piece a, rising to the level of the main track, with the pivoted wing rail A, and connections with the actuatingrail D, at the opposite side of the siding-track, substantially as set forth.

4.. In an automatic railway-frog, the combi nation of the pivoted wing-rail A, the guardrail E, with interposed filler a, the opposite movable rail, D, and the lever 0', links d b, and a spring, as S, for taking up any excess of movement due to scant gage of wheel-fianges, substantially as set forth.

5. The actuating mechanism in an automatic railway-frog, consisting substantially of the following elements, to wit: the rod b, pivotally attached to the movable wing A, the lever 0, with fulcrum 0 at one side of the center, and the rod (1, rods 1) and 02 being pivoted to the ends of the lever, respectively, and said rod 02 consisting of a central core, and a spring arranged in connection therewith, the whole attached to the movable guard D in such manner that excessive opening of the-latter compresses the spring and prevents injury to the operating mechanism, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL H. MAHONEY.

l/Vitnessesz R. M. :HOSEA, L. M. HOSEA. 

